The Tech Savvy Recruiter

Hosted by Belinda Kerr and Andrew Rodger

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Jun 2026

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About the show

The Tech Savvy Recruiter, the podcast for recruitment and staffing agency owners keen to explore the tech innovations reshaping our industry. Hosted by Andrew Roger from RecMate and Belinda Kerr from Recruitment Garage. Together they bring you a stellar lineup of tech experts ready to help you understand, and more importantly, benefit from the increasing array of tech available to you today.

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47 recent

June 16, 2026Episode 4733 min

Episode 44 - Relationship Architects & AI Agents: Chris Russell on the Future of Recruitment Tech

What does the future of recruitment actually look like when AI is doing the screening, the admin, the interviews - and even applying for jobs on your behalf?In this episode, Belinda and Andrew sit down with Chris Russell - founder of RecTech Media and the original "Mad Scientist of Online Recruiting" - to cut through the noise and get real about what AI is doing to the recruitment industry right now.With 700+ episodes on the RecTech podcast and 25+ years watching the industry evolve, Chris brings an interesting perspective on where things are heading.You'll hear about:Why AI is shrinking recruitment teams The "AI job wars" - candidates auto-applying to hundreds of roles, employers drowning in 2,000+ applications per openingWhy rejection emails are still broken after 30 years - and how AI can finally fix itThe rise of AI interview tools and what they mean for candidate experienceWhat happens when job seeker AI agents start talking directly to employer AI agentsWhy the future recruiter might look less like a headhunter and more like a career conciergeHow to keep up when the tech is changing faster than you can track itLots of nuggets in this episode for you.QuestionsA lot of the recruitment founders or recruitment companies at the moment are worried, for good reason, that a lot of their business will move in-house, being AI and tech led. I'd love to know what you're seeing there and what your thoughts are around that. 2:25-2:36Is this different to the internet when it got switched on? Is this the same thing or should we maybe be a little bit worried because of the efficiencies of technology enabling internal teams to do a little bit more, a little bit more sophisticated? Whereas the gap is often filled by that external recruiter. 3:29-4:01When it comes to doing that human interaction, that back and forth, as much as the candidate, as for the hiring manager, have we cracked it or has the technology cracked that to perfection? Where are we heading with that interview process? Will it be here in five years time? 5:08-5:22You talk about the AI war happening between candidates and employers right now. Would you mind sharing a little bit more about your thoughts there? 9:31-9:39What do you see for those dominant job board providers happening in the next five years? What are the changes that you forecast there? 12:35-13:41LinkedIn recruiter are putting their rates up again. I do not understand how, with everything else that recruiters have at their fingertips now to find people, what am I missing? How is the LinkedIn recruiter justifying its price point? 16:40-16:55Given that candidates now are using AI to write their CVs and prep, etc. How does that change then what a good recruiter actually does for their clients? So how do they navigate this change and come out on top? 19:25-19:49 I love your thoughts on this statement that recruitment's always been about relationships, but does the AI race make that more important or does it eventually just erode that advantage as well? 21:10-21:20How can recruiters and staffing professionals keep that eye on the ball? What's the best strategy there for them? 28:06- 28:11If you have one piece of advice to a recruitment founder or a TA person who’s watching this and a feeling behind. What’s the one thing that they could do this week to start thinking. 30:11-30:33Follow Chris's work rectechmedia.com linkedin.com/in/cmrussell Connect with Belinda and AndrewLinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMate https://www.recmate.com.au/

June 8, 2026Episode 4354 min

Episode 43 - 44 Years of Recruitment Wisdom: What AI Changes (and What It Doesn't) with Bill Boorman

What does a recruiter who started at 16 -- with 44 years in the industry -- think about AI, agentic tech, and the future of talent acquisition? A lot, as it turns out.This week, Belinda and Andrew sit down with Bill Boorman, senior analyst and writer focusing on job boards, tech, and general recruitment for the AIM Group, and board member of VONQ. Bill is one of the industry's most recognised recruitment voices on tech and AI, founder of the #tru unconference series, which has run events across 65 countries and has advised many rec tech firms including Talent Tech Labs and Recruitment Smart. These days, Bill spends his time helping the industry figure out what AI and technology actually mean in practice, not just in theory, with a goal of helping businesses and leaders make sense of what's next in the fast-moving world of work.In this episode, they cover:Why AI is removing friction from hiring -- and what that means for your value as a recruiterThe "old school principles, new school delivery" framework that still drives great outcomesWhy handmade recruitment is becoming a luxury -- and why that's actually good newsThe uncomfortable truth: in 15 years, the world is running out of workersHow small agency owners have a real edge in the age of AI experimentationWhat your "moat" is -- and how to find and protect it before the market shifts under youWhether you're running a boutique agency or scaling a staffing firm, this episode will challenge how you think about your business, your pricing, and your future.Hit play. This one's worth every minute.Questions:You've seen every wave of rec tech come and go. Where do you reckon today's AI genuinely changes the game for agency founders and where is it still mostly hype? 2:00-2:12You've been advising recruitment companies for many years. With what you have seen, what's maybe one or two of the key things that agency owners make in error when they're evaluating? 11:36-11:56Given that we have all these amazing new tools at our fingertips, what edge do you think that will give the smaller founders or the smaller agencies? 20:05-20:14Thinking around the role of AI with what we're doing today in terms of business development. How are you seeing that play out with companies and the role that AI is playing to, maybe break into new markets that I wanna head into or build an existing market that I'm currently playing within? 34:17-34:30You've been really deep in that whole tech world and investment world, and I'd love to know some of the really interesting things that you're seeing. Different like, interesting companies, different players, different use cases. Just what, the stuff that's kinda making you go. 37:40-37:55The leverage that you could or have been able to maintain and leverage with AI 1) let's call it, helped you, you do a lot of things faster, quicker, you could do a little bit more with your time, and where we're up to now is that whole new world, yet again with Agentic AI which does stuff on its, by itself without being told. We'd be thinking differently now that that opportunity's there. What should we be thinking as recruitment leaders? 40:20-40:57Connect with Billlinkedin.com/in/billboormanConnect with Belinda and AndrewLinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMate https://www.recmate.com.au/

May 8, 2026Episode 4541 min

Episode 42 - Andrew & BK's Hot takes on AI in Recruitment in May 2026

Hosts Andrew Rodger and Belinda Kerr have a candid mid-year roundtable, and there's a lot to unpack.From agentic AI quietly transforming recruitment workflows, to the data integrity trap most agencies are sleepwalking into, this is your pulse check on where AI is actually at in the recruitment industry right now. 🚀 Tune in for:Why firms using AI are seeing up to 4.5x more revenue growth and what separates them from the restHow agentic AI is handling outreach, scheduling, and reference checks autonomouslyThe data quality problem that's silently killing AI results in your ATSWhy the phone call is making a comeback and what that means for your BD strategy👉 Perfect for: recruitment founders, agency owners, and staffing leaders who want a straight-talking take on where AI is headed. AI adoption rates and the shift from basic gen AI to agentic workflows (02:35)AI-first platforms vs legacy SaaS and what to look for before you renew your contract (05:13)How AI is transforming day-to-day recruitment workflows (07:56-18:45)Data integrity: why rubbish in still means rubbish out, even with AI (18:45)Vibe coding, hiring signal finders, and building your own tools on a budget (21:00)The personal touch comeback: email, phone calls, and building trust in a noisy market (34:00)What's coming in the next 3-6 months and how to prepare (29:00-42:25)Connect with Belinda and Andrew:LinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMate https://www.recmate.com.au/

April 17, 2026Episode 4448 min

Episode 41 - Smart pipeline building and BD with AI automation

Most recruitment founders are still doing business development like it’s 2020 and it’s quietly killing their response rates.In this episode of The Tech Savvy Recruiter, we sit down with Niklas Huetzen, Founder of Automindz Solutions, to unpack how AI is fundamentally reshaping recruitment business development.Niklas breaks down how signal-driven strategies powered by AI is helping recruiters identify high-intent opportunities before competitors even see them.From job listings and leadership changes to fundraising signals and automation workflows, you’ll learn how top-performing agencies are moving away from “spray and pray” outreach and building smarter and more targeted systems.We also dive into the practical side of AI adoption, including tools, automation stacks, data quality, and how recruitment founders can stay competitive without getting lost in the noise of new tech.If you want to future-proof your recruitment BD strategy, this episode will shift how you think about pipeline generation entirely.Questions: Many recruitment founders are still doing BD like it’s 2020. What specifically has changed that they haven’t caught up with yet? 2:15-2:22If I had to pick three for the audience of the biggest bang for your buck for return on investment. So for me to build something to monitor those signals, what three would you pick to start with? 6:04-6:13What's the one belief that you think that they have that's sort of limiting them in their BD growth. Now what's getting in the way of more uptake of these tools that should be beneficial? 22:15-22:24 You’ve probably seen people looking at too many things and they’re overcomplicating their setup. What are the key things you could give guidance for founders when they’re thinking about setting a system like this up? What shouldn't they do basically to be overcomplicating it. 27:11-27:23What about when it comes to structuring data? Is there anything worth talking about there? 30:18-30:23Where do you think we’re heading from here? 40:49-40:51Connect with Nikhttps://www.automindz-solutions.com/ Download The 2026 AI in Recruitment Playbook - https://automindz-solutions.com/ai-recruitment-playbook Connect with Belinda and Andrew:LinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMate https://www.recmate.com.au/

March 3, 2026Episode 4342 min

Episode 40 - AI Is Rewiring Everyday Communication: Is It Making Us Smarter or Lazier?

AI is changing business communication but are we using it to work smarter or just faster?In this episode of The Tech Savvy Recruiter, Belinda and Andrew sit down with Veronica Fernandez, Strategic Partner Manager from Aircall, to explore how AI is transforming recruitment, sales, and customer service.What you’ll learn:- How AI handles repetitive tasks so you can focus on meaningful conversations- Real-time coaching and data-driven insights to improve performance- Ways to reduce call reluctance and boost confidence in sales- Choosing the right AI use cases without losing the human touch- Streamlining workflows to free up time for high-impact workWhether it’s AI agents running first-round interviews or nudging you during calls, this episode shows how to amplify human skills, streamline your workflow, and build stronger relationships.Connect with Veronicalinkedin.com/in/veronicafernandez-wonderaircall.ioConnect with Belinda and Andrew:LinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMate https://www.recmate.com.au/

February 17, 2026Episode 4253 min

Episode 39 - Navigating Cyber Threats: Practical Cybersecurity & Resilience for SMBs

Small businesses are under attack, and cyber threats are more real than ever. In this episode, Luke Irwin, fractional Chief Information Security Officer at Aegis Cybersecurity, breaks down the world of cybercrime - from email-based attacks and ransomware to social engineering and emerging AI risks. He shares practical steps for SMBs to boost cybersecurity, including frameworks like SMB1001, cybersecurity insurance, employee training, password management, and multi-factor authentication.Learn how to build cyber resilience, protect your business, and recover quickly when attacks happen. Whether you’re a founder, entrepreneur, or small business owner, this episode gives you actionable insights to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.Questions:Get an overview of the landscape. What's happening? What should we be thinking about? 2:53-2:56 In Australia, the SMB 1009 and in The States, North America. Does that help with your insurance premiums? 14:5-14:58With the SMB businesses, what are some of the typical breaches that you see? 16:49-16:57Last time we spoke you gave a really good agenda of 60% or 70% of what people could do to stay safe. Would you mind running through that? 27:26-27:37What percentage of Xero users do you reckon are actually backing up? 35:54-35:57If you're thinking about backing it up, are there any sort of preferred smarter methods? 36:32-36:37If you walked into a small to medium agency recruitment agency today, what would you say are the top three things you can do to bridge that gap? 44:57-45:06Connect with Lukelinkedin.com/in/luke-irwinE: lirwin@aegiscyber.com.auW: https://aegiscyber.com.auConnect with Belinda and Andrew:LinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMate https://www.recmate.com.au/Check out CyberWardens at https://train.cyberwardens.com.au

February 3, 2026Episode 4150 min

Episode 38 - AI, Automation, and the Truth About What Recruiters Should Be Using

AI is everywhere in recruitment, but are agencies actually using it well?In this episode of The Tech Savvy Recruiter, Belinda and Andrew sit down with Ez Khan, Founder of Hume Scope to explore why many founders feel behind, and how early, simple adoption can create a serious competitive advantage.From automating admin and improving productivity to enhancing candidate communication and building trust with clients, this conversation focuses on practical, real-world applications. The trio also discuss the difference between automation and AI, why prompt engineering matters more than most recruiters realise, and what the future holds for agency owners committed to staying relevant.Questions:What’s the biggest misconception small agency founders have about AI and recruitment tech right now? 1:43-1:50What are founders sharing with you as their biggest concerns around where we are headed with AI? And how can people like us support them? 3:28-3:45What are we seeing now as practical use cases for AI? 7:41-7:47What differences are you seeing between the founders that are doing well and those who are struggling? 28:59-29:11What skills as a recruiter do I need to keep learning and honing? 35:54-36:14If you were running a 2 or 3 person agency right now - what tools would be non negotiables in your stack? 41:52-42:03Notes: https://fal.ai/ Download the Prompt Engineering file here - chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://arxiv.org/pdf/2402.07927Connect with Belinda and Andrew:LinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMatehttps://www.recmate.com.au/

January 6, 2026Episode 4037 min

Episode 37 - AI in Recruitment: What’s Working, What’s Hype

AI is everywhere in recruitment, but what is actually working right now and what is just hype?In this episode of The Tech Savvy Recruiter, Belinda Kerr and Andrew Rodger sit down with Martin Herbst, CEO of JobAdder, to unpack the real impact of AI on recruiter productivity, candidate selection, and client relationships. With more than 20 years of experience scaling SaaS marketplaces, Martin shares how smart agencies are cutting admin by up to 50 percent, using AI inside their CRM workflows, and building stronger talent communities without losing the human connection.You will learn where recruiters are wasting time, how to avoid shiny tech distractions, and why the future of recruitment is not about replacing people but freeing them to focus on what matters most.Perfect for recruitment agency owners who want practical, no-nonsense insight into using AI to grow faster and recruit smarter.Questions:When you zoom out and look at the industry where it’s up to now as a whole, how would you describe the current state of play of AI adoption in recruitment? What are recruiters actually doing with AI today versus what’s still largely theoretical? 2:55-3:15If we're thinking about the practical gains with AI at the moment without kind of losing the human connection, but what should we be thinking about from a practical perspective right here, right now? What are you seeing across your customer base? What are people doing? What sort of habits are they engaging? How are they engaging with the way that you've got JobAdder moving through? 11:41-12:00We're starting to see things like fake CVs and these sorts of things. How big a problem are they going to be? Are there going to be things that counter them before they get too out of control? 14:54-15:03What about when it comes to data too? There's a profuse amount of data available now and it's relatively inexpensive to harness. Do you feel like there's an opportunity for people to be using that more so and better as well? 21:20-21:33You've mentioned Adder intelligence. I'd love to get a glimpse behind the scenes a little bit around how the team's approaching or how they approach designing it and the ongoing modifications and enhancements. And I guess what core principles that you use to ensure that it's useful, trustworthy, and it's got that genuine improvement on what we need it to do for our day to day, to move that human back into the human stuff as we were just talking around, rather than the admin things. 22:28-22:54What do you think the next couple of years, the crystal ball of six months is a long time at the moment, but the next couple of years will look like for recruiters. And what should we be gearing up for? 28:50-28:58What about on the client side? How many are going to be losing clients because they can just do it themselves with more tools? 30:05-30:12Connect with Belinda and Andrew:LinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerr Recruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/ LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodger recMate https://www.recmate.com.au/

December 19, 2025Episode 3947 min

Episode 36 - AI screening: The possibilities and the perils

AI is reshaping recruitment faster than most agencies can keep up. In this episode of The Tech Savvy Recruiter, Andrew and Belinda are joined by global HR influencer and recruiting tech expert Tim Sackett to cut through the noise and explain what is actually working right now.They dive into AI screening, interview technology, candidate experience, bias reduction, hiring data, and the growing risk of candidate fraud. Tim shares practical insights on how agencies and TA leaders can use AI to improve quality of hire, speed up processes, protect their systems, and create better experiences for candidates and hiring managers alike.If you want to understand where recruitment tech is heading, how to avoid costly mistakes, and where to invest your time and money next, this is a must-listen.Questions:As AI screening sits today, to your mind what’s working well, where are companies seeing the biggest impact and on the flip side where are we coming unstuck? 1:33-1:42When it comes to interview technology as it is today and where you see the biggest disruptors that are coming for us putting that lens on, how do you think agencies should be approaching what's happening in our market? Where should we be investing as professionals to make sure we're staying up and maybe getting ahead of the game as well? 8:03-8:22At what point do we put that human layer on it? For example, I've got a team and I've got eight blokes and I just want a bit of female energy and mix it up a little bit. But the AI is a kind of screening for not that. Do you feel like this process comes in at the end, or when do we start adding that in? 12:27-12:45This whole concept of candidate fraud and fake resumes and fake interviews. Where are we going with all of this? 14:59-15:26What are you recommending that people start to think about doing to both educate themselves and mitigate the risk? 18:16-18:23Just thinking if we fast forward, say 3 to 5 years, if we were to look at that window of time, what do you think the interviewing process might look like? 21:50-22:12When it comes to data, what do we need to be thinking about? What should we be measuring? What are your thoughts around the importance of it in the process? 33:14-33:21A lot of thought leaders like yourself are talking about the importance of being across that conversation, trying things out with little baby steps where you can, I guess on top of understanding the problem that you're trying to achieve and improve upon. But before you try any new tech, is there anything else you'd say about helping people look in the right direction or to make better tech decisions? 40:34-40:56Connect with Belinda and Andrew:LinkedIn Belinda Kerr Recruitment GarageLinkedIn Andrew Rodger recMate Check out more from Tim on these platformsTimsackett.com HR Famous podcast

December 3, 2025Episode 3853 min

Episode 35 - Recruitment in the Age of AI: What Will Never Change

Recruitment is shifting faster than most Recruitment Founders can keep up and Dexter Cousins joins us from Tier One People to dig deeper on what that means for our future. With almost 30 years in FinTech recruitment, Dexter breaks down the real impact of AI as he sees it, the human skills that will never be replaced, and the brutal truths most recruiters don’t want to admit.We dig into client-centricity, personal brand power, where the market is heading, and how to use AI intelligently without losing your edge.Listen in if you want to stay relevant, build relationships that last, and understand what the future means for you.Questions:What are some of the fun ways you’ve been using tech and AI? 07:14-07:18How long do you think it is before a silver bullet appears for the recruitment space? 25:37-25:41What technologies are you keeping an eye on that may not be just right yet to allow you to spend a little bit more time in the field having coffees with the right people? 48:31-48:40Connect with Belinda and Andrew:LinkedIn Belinda Kerr linkedin.com/in/belindakerrRecruitment Garagehttps://recruitmentgarage.com/LinkedIn Andrew Rodgerlinkedin.com/in/andrewrodgerrecMate https://www.recmate.com.au/Check out more from Dexter on FinTech Chatter:https://tieronepeople.com/fintech-chatter-podcast/